A blog post about my personal blogging habits.
Habit 1 – Google Reader in the morning
Whilst I’m drinking a strong mug of tea I browse through the latest posts via Google Reader. Google reader is a powerful and easy to use rss reader, highly recommended. I know many people follow my personal blog in Google Reader also, thank you.
Habit 2 – I leave blog comments each day
Often I will I will leave a comment / reply after reading a blog post. Probably at least two to four each morning. If I know the blog receives many dozens of comments I won’t select a box to stay connected, otherwise my inbox would be drowned on a regular basis.
Habit 3 – I prefer to follow personal blogs
Don’t get me wrong I will on occasion check out lifehacker, io9 etc. However the majority of feeds in my Google Reader are for personal blogs, else blogs written by one or two people at most. I prefer the honest, friendly and often superior quality, compared to blogs that chuck out dozens of updates a day.
Habit 4 – Enriching blog posts
Unlike this blog post which has absolutely no photos, I do try and include a photo or video in a blog post. Sometimes time constraints don’t allow, but it breaks up a post, adds some eye candy and improves a post. SEO people would say this is great for search engines, especially if the filename and alt tags are keyword stuffed. I just like adding a photo or video here when possible, regardless of SEO, which is a nice side-effect.
Habit 5 – I often write draft posts
Often I will write a blog post and then publish, especially if relevant to an activity that occurred that day or recently. However I also write draft posts about topics when fresh in my mind, such as this post, then edit or update later. I guess it helps improve my posts. i.e. grammar, layout, quality. I just like to write when a topic is fresh.
Habit 6 – I keep ignoring keywords on my personal blog
I should be writing juicy keywords for search engines for my personal blog post titles. However more often than not I don’t, as it is my personal blog and I’m more relaxed. My problem is writing more sedate titles. I recently I stopped myself from using ‘I got slapped by a Panda’!
I guess reading and writing in regard to blogs is about finding what works for you. My habits have adapted over time and will adapt further no doubt. What are your blogging habits?
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